Even with no official indication their living arrangement might change, residents of the Jed Stumps trailer court have taken their concern to town councillors in anticipation of a rezoning application.
Vivian Douglas spoke on behalf of the 68 residents of the trailer court, who are worried that new owners of the property will seek a rezoning application which would effectively remove residents in favour of new developments.
“I know in a year in a half there will be [a zoning application]. I am just one of 68 people who live and have our families in the trailer court,” she said.
The uncertainty has already impacted lives in the sense that it’s challenging to sell trailer units right now.
Douglas said she had wanted to sell her unit but buyers aren’t there if they don’t know if they’ll be able to stay a year from now.
“The other thing is if we wanted to sell right now there is no buyers and we can’t blame them because everything is up in the air,” she said.
She added, “I bring these points to you because I think that while you’re sleeping in your bed, we are worried whether we will have a roof over our head.”
Residents in the trailer court had been concerned last year as well. (Sentinel, October 13, 2013.) A special meeting of residents was held with the Kitimat Housing Resource Worker at the Northwest Community College campus to work out what was happening and what wasn’t.
Residents were relieved to know there would be no immediate changes to the property but clearly the overall worry remains.
At the April 28 committee of the whole meeting, Mayor Joanne Monaghan relayed that she had spoken with the current owner of the trailer court and asked about any imminent plans to do with the property and she had been assured there was none at this time.
Douglas said that through her role of collecting rents at the property she had heard progress towards change may have been going faster than what may be realized.
“It won’t be very much time until progress kicks us in the butt. And I’m only hoping you’re on our side.”